Comments on: Ingredients of Effective Blogging – Solitude

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:27:28 +0000

Also a compelling argument for homeschooling.

By: Strange Progress

Strange Progress — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:20:59 +0000

I totally agree that some solitude can be really helpful in coming up with new directions, new ideas and innovation. I’ll often lie awake at night, my mind furiously ticking over with new plans – which I *try* to note down these days.

Either that, or I’ll be awake till all hours working on some new post/feature/technical challenge in a totally silent household.

Funnily enough I also often find that I can gather new thoughts and concepts for directions I’d like to explore via my websites/blogs while showering, which is usually a pretty isolated experience :)

Matt

By: Capt. Cube

Capt. Cube — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 05:39:50 +0000

With my two teenage kids living with me in a two bedroom apartment, the only way I can get that kind of solitude is to take my laptop with me into the bathroom!

By: J.R.

J.R. — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 04:18:05 +0000

different strokes for different folks

By: Graham

Graham — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 01:02:19 +0000

I’m not sure solitude alone will solve the problem for most people or bloggers. To me it is about approaching things with design thinking. I have a lot of mundane thoughts that somehow manifest themselves into interesting posts (at least from my point of view). Here’s an example of what I mean that occurred to me today (I still haven’t blogged about it yet though). I blog about cycling. Today I realized that there are tons of traffic lights being added near my workplace. It makes me sick that so much is being done to facilitate cars going in and out of shopping plazas, while little is done to facilitate walking or cycling. American obesity and consumerism coming to a head. The question a blogger should ask is how can I make my mundane situation relevant to a wider audience. How can I design a post that takes an individual slice in time and abstracts it to something that all or many can relate. Often it is not solitude that helps me find the answer to this question, but rather communication with others and even debate that helps me design the right post.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 00:36:37 +0000

I agree – you need a good amount of solitude to get things done. At least, I do. I know first hand how difficult it is to get things done when you are constantly interrupted, and there is always something else going on.

By: mcewen

mcewen — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 23:51:39 +0000

I don’t know about isolation? That’s a little optimistic. There again, perhaps there’s always the option of the padded cell!
Cheers

By: Rich Owings

Rich Owings — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 23:25:21 +0000

Amen!

By: LearningNerd

LearningNerd — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:35:10 +0000

So very true. I get plenty of solitude and plenty of ideas during my me-time. But I have been noticing something else that’s just as, if not more important than having some time to yourself, and that’s having a change in surroundings. Sitting alone where you usually sit in your office or wherever will eventually stifle your creativity. Like in the video, sometimes you just need to go for a run outside. It really helps!

By: J.R.

J.R. — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:29:22 +0000

I agree 100% with this. In times of ancient war, some of the greatest battles were won by generals and field commanders who used forms of uninterupted meditation.

Some of the greatest leaders that ever lived, found their gifts in the “wilderness and the desert.” I’m a believer in this solitude stuff. Though, it’s difficult to find sometimes.

By: Ian Robertson

Ian Robertson — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:01:05 +0000

My best ideas for blogging comes when I’m laying in bed.. and there’s no way I am getting up to blog.

Or sometimes in car

By: Pat Gundry

Pat Gundry — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:55:29 +0000

I think you’re spot on with the need for solitude. There is a type of person I call a “synthesist creative” who comes from a background of having grown up with plenty of solitude as a child. It was a normal thing for them to wander the outdoors and think as they walked and explored the world.

School and work have a way of displacing free thinking, musing, and insight generating experience. And, a goal setting and “getting things done” orientation have imposed a linear approach on areas that were previously free of structure.

Since blogging encompasses tech, craft, and art, one needs to wear several hats, including the one of no hat at all, in free-of-task solitude.

In addition, though, I think something else has also gone missing, the creative and generating effect of verbal interaction. I know that I develop thoughts and ideas born in solitude even as I tell others about them. Not only from my conversational companion(s) responses and questions, but from the verbal expression itself. Talking about it makes me know more about what I think about it.

It’s not the same as writing about it, though that is also generative and developmental, it’s like my celtic and amerindian ancestors must have experienced around the fire at night as they told stories and bounced their ideas about.

I think bloggers probably need, in addition to solitude, some buddies to talk with in person or on the phone about their ideas and what might be.

By: Tillerman

Tillerman — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:45:26 +0000

How very true. All my best ideas for my blog come to me while I’m running. I could say a lot more but I’m off for a run before it gets dark.